European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Total Free Proline Estimated in Some Selected Species of Pteridophytic Flora of Rajasthan

Shahdab Hussain — 2021-07-26

Proline, a well-known amino acid, has been estimated in ten different pteridophytes, including Adiantum capillus-veneris L., Adiantum caudatum L., Adiantum incisum Forssk., Adiantum philippense L., and Actiniopteris radiata (Sw.) link. Christenh. in various organs such as the root, rhizome, and leaves Hemionitis anceps (Blanf.) Christenh., Hemionitis bicolor (Roxb.) Christenh., Hemionitis formosana Christenh (Hayata). Result of study is indicate that the maximum total proline in entire plant was recorded 43.54 mg/gdw and leaves have been recorded 24.10 mg/gdw in Pteris vittata subsp. vittata and the minimum value was recorded 3.60 mg/gdw in root of Adiantum caudatum L.

Acute and Chronic Anti-inflammatory effect of Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaf Extract on Wistar Rats

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Onwubuya — 2021-07-26

Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken (Crassulaceae) is used traditionally to treat many ailments. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of hydro-ethanol leaf extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum on Wistar rats using acute and chronic models and also evaluates the bioactive compounds of the leaf extract. The phytochemical constituents of the plant extract were quantitatively determined by Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and acute anti-inflammatory activity was carried out with the aid of plethysmometer while chronic anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using cotton pellet. Results showed that the leaf extract of B. pinnatum was rich in kaempferol (7.006 ±0.02 μg/g), sapogenin (3.372 ±0.02 μg/g), rutin (1.837 ±0.01 μg/g) and lunamarine (1.359 ±0.01 μg/g). The findings showed that the plant had considerable anti-inflammatory effects in a dose dependent manner, returning edema in carragenean-induced and cotton pellet induced granuloma in Wistar rats to normal within 120 minutes and 7 days respectively. The findings of this work have shown that the leaf of B. pinnatum was rich in bioactive compounds which could be synthesized to produce new plant based product to fight inflammatory disorders with fewer side effects.

Examining the Androgenic Effect of Different Imperata Cylindrica Extracts on Diabetic Wistar Rats

M. O. Nwokike — 2021-08-03

This was an experimental study that evaluated the effect of aqueous, methanol and chloroform root extracts of Imperata cylindrica on serum levels of testosterone in male Wistar rats. Shade dried Imperata cylindrica roots were pounded and crude extracts prepared using distilled water, methanol and chloroform. Diabetes mellitus was induced with alloxan monohydrate and the diabetic rats were divided into six groups (n=8) and kept in separate cages. Group A rats were Non-Diabetic Rats Treated With Distilled Water. In Group B were placed Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Distilled Water. Groups C, D and E contained Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with 200 mg/Kg body weight water, chloroform and methanol Imperata cylindrica root extracts in the given order. Group F was the Positive Control with Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Glibenclamide [0.5 mg/kg body weight]. This treatment was carried out for 28 days sequentially. An analysis of the serum obtained from the rats after 28 days indicate that the extracts increased testosterone levels to varying degrees with the methanol extract producing the highest activity of 27.42 percent. This increase is from 3.23±0.04 ng/ml at baseline to 4.45±0.11 ng/ml after 28 days (p 0.0001). The increase due to aqueous extract was equally very statistically significant (p 0.0001) as the baseline concentration of testosterone, 3.35±0.08 ng/ml was increased by 23.70% to 4.39±0.32 ng/ml. The chloroform extract proved to be the least active of the extracts as it only increased the testosterone level by 11.76% from 3.15±0.19 ng/ml at baseline to 3.57±0.09 ng/ml after 28 days (p=0.0213). This was about two and half times lower than the methanol extract that elicited highest activity among the extracts and about four times less than the effect produced by the Group F rats treated with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of glibenclamide. The testosterone levels of Group F rats after 28 days increased to the levels seen in the normal control group that did not receive alloxan, from 3.17±0.12 to 5.51±0.25 ng/ml, a 42.47% change. This result indicates that methanol is the best extractant of the three solvents analyzed.